d one
for His sweet Mother, and one for the honour of His saints, wherefore
they had brought this hither by His commandment into this kingdom for
that we had none here. They told me that and I should bear it into
this castle, they would take all my sins upon themselves, by Our Lord's
pleasure, in such sort as that I should be quit thereof. And I in like
manner have brought it hither by the commandment of God, who willeth
that this should be the pattern of all those that shall be fashioned in
the realm of this island where never aforetime have been none."

"By my faith," saith Messire Gawain to the hermit, "I know you right
well for a worshipful man, for you held your covenant truly with me."

King Arthur was right glad of this thing, as were all they that were
within. It seemed him that the noise thereof was like the noise that
he had heard sound ever since he had moved from Cardoil. The hermits
went their way each to his hermitage when they had done the service.

IV.

One day, as the King sate at meat in the hall with Perceval and Messire
Gawain and the ancient knights, behold you therewithal one of the three
Damsels of the Car that cometh, and she was smitten all through her
right arm.

"Sir," saith she to Perceval, "Have mercy on your mother and your
sister and on us. Aristor of Moraine, that is cousin to the Lord of
the Moors that you slew, warreth upon your mother, and hath carried off
your sister by force into the castle of a vavasour of his, and saith
that he will take her to wife and will have all her land that your
mother ought to hold of right, maugre your head. But never had knight
custom so cruel as he, for when he shall have espoused the damsel,
whomsoever she may be, yet will he never love her so well but that he
shall cut off her head with his own hand, and so thereafter go seek for
another to slay in like manner. Natheless in one matter hath he good
custom, that never will he do shame to none until such time as he hath
espoused her. Sir, I was with my Lady your sister when he maimed me in
this manner. Wherefore your mother sendeth you word and prayeth you
that you succour her, for you held her in covenant that so you would do
and she should have need thereof and you should know it; for and you
consent to her injury and loss, the shame will be your own."

Perceval heard these tidings, and sore sorrowful was he thereof.

"By my head," saith the King to Perceval, "I and my nephew, so pleas